While home decorating always has been defined by the times, we like to think that decking the halls has remained untainted by trend.
We cling to a belief that in putting up the tree and hanging the wreaths, the garlands, the stockings, we are sharing in rituals that have been handed down - unchanged - from our parents and their parents before them.If that were so, then we might be putting up a pink flocked tree, hanging a styrofoam wreath and gingham checked stockings.
Folks, Christmas is - and always has been - a blend of tradition and trend. And, for good or ill, the look of Christmas has changed with the times, skirting and flirting with the fashions. Here's how the look of Christmas in our time has evolved:
1940s: Tried and traditional:
War-borne shortages marked the early part of the '40s, but when the war ended, the home front took on increased importance. From the braided rugs on the floor to the early-American sofa, home was a place for safety and comfort.
Home, for the holidays, meant tradition. The typical mantelpiece boasted a simple arrangement of pine boughs, colored glass balls and a candle or two. Tables were topped with pine wreaths accented with fresh fruit. And Christmas trees, when available, often were harvested from the wild - and looked it.
Trimmings included large, multicolored bulbs (often backed by metal reflectors to protect trees from the heat), paper cutouts, popcorn-and- cranberry garlands and, of course, bubble lights.
1950s: Enter the artificial:
The Atomic Age ushered in a futuristic-looking home - clean in design, austere in appointment. "Comfy" was replaced by "efficient" as unadorned couches curved dramatically, coffee tables took on space-age shapes and geometrics dominated everything from wall clocks to windows.
In the march toward man-made perfection, science made a study of Christmas. Many people erected trees made of aluminum, vinyl, paper, wire mesh, cellophane - almost anything not found in nature. Tables were topped with star-like paper cutouts and styrofoam wreaths hung on bare walls.
1960s: Christmas as high-fashion:
Home decor took a trip in the psychedelic '60s, and Christmas took a back seat. Instead of trying to compete with bamboo bedsteads, leopard-print divans and bright-orange walls, some people tried to make Christmas blend in.
Trees, tabletops and mantels all became accessories, just a part of the ensemble. House Beautiful's 1965 Christmas issue featured a bright-yellow room appointed with stripes and florals and a Christmas tree trimmed only in gilt roses. Many a Christmas tree was flocked and dressed - rather than trimmed - in strands of single-colored lights with matching glass balls.
1970s: Country comeback:
High-fashion headed for the hills and home decor hit the country road in the '70s. Pine and gingham check replaced bamboo and leopard print. And, after years of holding back, Christmas let loose the reins. Mantels, tabletops, wreaths and trees were a profusion of traditional, though countrified, Christmas. No longer contained, Christmas spread throughout the house. Cranberry and popcorn garlands encircled trees, straw swags decked the hallways and poinsettias overpowered entryways and stairways as the "natural look" came on with a vengeance. Tiny teddy bears and tricycles were popular trim, but the stars of '70s Christmas tree were quilted, cooked or handcrafted from cornhusks or straw.
1980s: Flash and fade:
Although it faded fast, the flash is what many of us remember of the high-rolling '80s. However, the glitz and glitter gave way to a more livable look as new money invested in leather furniture, oriental rugs and original art in order to look like old money - and succeeded.
"Banks and insurance companies and malls used a lot of glitzy stuff," explained Bachman, "but, at home, people wanted their trees to be personal and warm."
The "country" look was toned down and retooled into the "northwoods" look. Primitive folk-art decorations replaced heavy-handed handicrafts, and instead of a plethora of poinsettias, simple tree-shaped topiary came to the fore. In the '80s, the idea that just about anything could be used to trim the tree took hold.
1990s: Tradition with a twist:
In the '90s, Christmas has come full circle. Home is once again a place for safety and comfort and, one hopes, joy. Tradition is in style once more. Back are balsam trees and bubble lights, old-style ornaments and pine wreaths. Of course, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a few new trinkets. So far, the '90s have given us novelty lights, themed ornaments and the "Martha Stewart thing."